Need for Mental Health Providers in Progressive Tinnitus Management
VA Survey
In 2015, in partnership with the VA Offices of Audiology and Speech Pathology and Mental Health Services, and the Health Services Research & Development/Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (HSR&D/QUERI), the NCRAR conducted a study to examine PTM variation across sites via surveys and/or interviews of VA Audiology and MH programs nationwide.13,14 The objectives of this study were to: (1) describe current tinnitus-management practices in VAMCs; (2) identify barriers and facilitators to PTM program implementation based on clinics that have fully, partially, or not implemented PTM; and (3) determine readiness to implement PTM within VISN 20 (Northwest states and Alaska).
Clinicians at VAMCs nationwide were surveyed regarding current provision of tinnitus clinical services. Requests were sent to audiology programs and MH programs at 142 major VAMCs along with instructions to complete the online survey. Responses were received from 87 audiologists and 66 MH providers. Clinicians at VAMCs with full PTM, partial PTM, and no-PTM (based on survey results) were then interviewed regarding site-specific barriers and facilitators to implementing and providing PTM, readiness to adopt PTM, and strategies for full PTM implementation.
Key findings from the study demonstrated the following: (1) There is considerable between-site variability in how PTM is implemented, particularly with the delivery of the MH portion of the protocol; (2) audiologists show higher levels of readiness to provide tinnitus services than do MH providers (7% of MH survey respondents vs 62% of audiologists reported their site implementing PTM); (3) 66% of MH survey respondents were interested in receiving training in tinnitus management (note that online PTM training for MH does not yet exist); (4) PTM implementation barriers include audio-visual technology issues, room scheduling, as well as lack of collaboration and colocation between MH and audiology departments, administrative time/support, group facilitator skills, and availability of PTM materials.
Overall, results of this HSR&D/QUERI-funded study suggested the need to develop MH-specific training to support the necessary interdisciplinary engagement. Although a patient workbook is available to order and visual presentation aids may be accessed online, it became clear that lack of MH participation in the inherently interdisciplinary PTM skills education was the most common deviation from PTM.
DoD an VA Questionnaire
In 2014 the DoD Hearing Center of Excellence (HCE) conducted the DoD and VA Tinnitus Evaluation, Management, and Treatment Assessment.13 The HCE conducted this questionnaire under the Tinnitus Care Quality Improvement, Process Development, and Implementation Plan, to develop, establish, and implement an interdisciplinary and ongoing process to continually assess and improve the quality and continuum of tinnitus care delivered to service members and veterans at a consistent, enterprise-wide level. The HCE developed the questionnaire to: (1) identify DoD and VA audiologists and otolaryngologists and their institutions providing comprehensive tinnitus care; (2) assess current tinnitus evaluation and management/treatment protocols used; (3) disseminate common practice improvements to all providers for enhancing overall tinnitus evaluation and management/treatment; and (4) evaluate implementation of improvements to include efficiency of implementation and efficacy of improvements.
The questionnaire was administered using SurveyMonkey (San Mateo, CA) and was disseminated by the otolaryngology and audiology consultants to the Army, Navy, and Air Force surgeons general and specialty leaders as well as through VA specialty leaders. Also, the HCE posted the link for the questionnaire on its website for 11 months. A total of 200 providers responded to the questionnaire, of which 13 did not indicate their specialty (eg, otolaryngology) or classification (eg, DoD active duty) and were excluded from data analysis. The 187 qualified respondents included 66 DoD audiologists, 120 VA audiologists, and 1 DoD otolaryngologist.
The questionnaire results indicated that DoD and VA respondents provided tinnitus services for their patients at similar rates (72% of DoD providers and 79% of VA providers). The use of PTM by those same providers, however, was far more widespread in VA (66%) than it was in DoD (37%). Of the providers indicating they did not offer tinnitus clinical services, the main reasons given were lack of necessary training/expertise, lack of time, and insufficient clinical support. The majority of respondents indicated they had training on tinnitus evaluation and/or management and that they were comfortable providing these services; despite this, most providers indicated a need or desire for tinnitus-specific training and education. These results suggested that more support and education for hearing health care providers were needed to implement PTM in VA and, especially, in DoD.
About half of the respondents indicated that psychological/behavioral treatment services, which would correspond to PTM levels 3 and 5, are available for patients at their facility who have tinnitus. It is encouraging to know that some patients with problematic tinnitus are receiving MH services. However, it is essential that patients with any degree of bothersome tinnitus have access to evidence-based clinical services, which would require CBT delivered by a qualified MH provider.
